Load discharging car



Aug. 11, 1931.

A. CAMPBELL. 1,818,688

LOAD DISCHARGING CAR Fi'led Maich Q, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet. 1

AKQYLE CAMPBELL Aug; 11, 1931. AVCAMPBELL ,3

LOADIDISCHARGING CAR Filed March 8, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Ed /2% ARGfl/E AMP ELL A. CAMPBELL' 1,818,688

LOAD DISGHARGING CAR Filed March 8, 1928 4 Sheet s-She-t, s

ARGYLE CA 3 LL Aug. 11,1931.

A CAMPBELL I LOAD DISCHARGING CAR Filed March 8, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

i E 'tion beneaththe door as Patented Aug. 11, 1931 e 1;UNITED STATESPAT NTIO FICE;

:AIBGYLE GAMiBELL; or cnioaeo'f ntinois, ass snoa To ENTEnrnisE B AIILWAY or cnrca'o inmuors,

, we cuxrmnnr comrimir,

A corroaarrou or ttmors I noanmsouanemecaa Application filed man s,

'This invention relates to improvements in loaddischargin cars andmoreespecially to thedischarge doors and the door. operating mechanismfor same. I An object of my invention is to provide a simple dooroperating mechanism wherein "is employed a bodily movable shaft adaptedto be moved to a supporting position beneath by the car doors when thelatter are in closed -i -position, and to provide supporting means forthe shaft whereby movement of the same may-be efiected with comparativeease, friction reducedto a minimum andthe'door's H safely andsecurely-locked in the closed poi5 S1tl0I1; I

It is also an-ohject of my invention to provide'a'door operatingmechanism having a bodily movable'door'operating'shaft adapted tonormally gravitate to a supporting posithe door-approaches the closedposition, and to provide means for displacing the shaftiout of; the pathof movement of the door and maintaining the said shaft away from thefreeedge of the i5 door when thefdoor is in alignment with the shaft. I

A still'f-urther object of myinvention is i to provide a dumping doorh'av'ing' 'a series of stiffening corrugations embossed therein 5 and tofurther provide suitable hracing brackets whereby thefstifl'ening effectofsaid corrugations I and a continuous" beam effect maintainedbetween-the corrugations and the door operating mechanism; w as Otherandfurther obj ects of the invention Will more clearly and-fully, appearfrom the --descriptiona; and claims hereinafter follow- H. l v

the drawings 'forminga part of this "specification; Figure" 1 shows a,plan view of a portion of a car having my improved constructionembodied therein; "Figure 2 is 'a transverse vertical sectional view ofaportion' 'o'fthe car and corresponds substantially to the line 22 ofFigure 1. Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional "elevationalview of that portion of; the car showing the doors and door operatingmechanism, said j ew b ing taken on a linefcorresponding shaft lockingmechanism,

1928. Serial nag-259,940.

ure 4: is a view similar toFigure2 except that the shaft is displacedfrom its supporting positionbeneath the door and the. latter is shown ina partiallylopened position. i Fig- "ure 5 .is a vview similar to Figure4 except'that the door is shown in a slightly diiferent position andwithasomewhat greater opening.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical elev'a tional view of one of thecross beamsillus- -tratin'g one of the swinging'hanger supports. Figure7 is a longitudinal vertical elevational View of .a portion of the car:showing the door operating shaft actuating and locking mechanism; aFigure 8 is an endelevational view of the shaft locking mechanism,saidview representing'a section through the shaft has taken on a linecorresponding substantially -to:a"1iner8-8 of Figure 7. Figure 9 is'anend elevational. view 7 of the "construction shown in Figure 7 door:operating shaft, F shaft supporting link hangers; G doorwindingconnections, H the and J "the shaft actuating mechanism. vThe car asshown isv of the typecommonlyjreferred to as azgen v eral service carwhich usually includes a series 0f dumping doors hinged adjacent thelongitudinal center of the car and adaptedto discharge to the: sides ofthe track. Inasmuch as the construction of the car on both sides of thelongitudinal center of the car-and the construction of-each door andtheassociated ldoorimechanism is similar for the various doors; thedescription hereinafter following is confined to somuch of the car asnecessary to illustrate the application of the mechanism toone door.'The centersill andlincludes webs 10, bottom chord 11, top {chords 12,top cover plate 13, and secured to said sills at intervals "lengthwiseof the car are door supporting hinge-butts 14; i

The crossbeams B, each include a pansha'ped diaphragm 15, bottom tieplate 16,

Ads of the box girder. forth a top cover plate 17 and connecting angles18 and '19. Theslde walls C of the car include a lower chord member 20of angular formation,

we 7p 7 IAs shown in thedrawings, A indicates the line as indicated at34 inFigu're 6;

side sheet 21, and side stakes 22, the latter being disposed at eachcrossbeam and secured arated by intervening valleys 27. The cor-.

rugations are formed with tapered ends thereby providing forcorrugations of decreased width and height adjacent their ends, thuspresenting valleys of increased width adja cent the tapered portions ofthe corrugations. The corrugations do not extend to the extreme edgeofthe door in order that the door may present a section of flat plateadjacent the free edge of the door as indicated at 127 for the purposeof abutting the horizontal flange of the lower chord of the car sideC.

As will be understood, there will be preferably one door D between eachpair of the cross members B of the underframe on each side of thecentersill. In carrying out my invention: the diaphragms 15 are slottedat their outer ends 'so as to accommodate the longitudinally extendingshaft E of the door operating and supporting mechanism E. Theshaft E isrotatably mounted in perforations 28 formed inthe swinging link hangersF which are each mounted on pivot 29 carried'on bracket "'30,'the latterin turn being securely riveted to the vertical web of the crossbeamdiaphragms 15. Each bracket 30 is provided with a slot 31 of arcuateform and includes aplurality of walls as .indicated'at '32 and133,saidwalls being separated by an intervening spacebetween Which theassociatedhanger F'is mounted. The said walls 32 and 33 provide a stablesupport for the pivot 29. The link supporting pivot 29 ispreferablymounted beyond the free edge of "the door. and beneath thehorizontal flanges of ftherlower chord '20 :of the side wallG, saidpivot 29-.being so arranged as to permit the hangers: to gravitate to avertical position with the shaft E directly beneath the said pivot .29as indicated in Figures 2 and 6,

whereby a straight line extending through theipivot' 29andpassing'through the axis of the shaft will lie on a substantiallyvertical f (lo-operating with the door'D to raise the same and bringitto a closed position are the fiexible'connectionsG each having o'ne'endattached tothe'shaft and the op osite end -to the door. There arepreferab y two of these connections G to each. door'but inasmuch astheconstruction is the same in each instance the description will beconfined to one, of said connections. The attachment of the connectionto the door is effected through the medium of a bracket casting 35 whichis secured to the underside of the door and to a beam member 36 securedto the door, the latter extending transversely across the plane of thecorrugations 26. The said beam member 86 is preferably of a shapetoinclude a flange 37 lying against the door plate and a web 38extending normal to the plane of the door. The bracket 35 is extendedoutwardly beyond the outer flange 23 of the door, the vlatterbeing cutaway as indicated at 3939 to accommodate the passage of said bracketacross the plane of the door flange. Inwardly of the said door flangethe bracket is formed with lateral walls 4040 which extend o'utwardlyfrom the respective sides of the bracketand areriveted as at 41 to thedoor flange on each side of the cut away portion thereby providingcontinuity of reinforcement of the flange 23 across the plane of thebracket 35, and a continuous door beam effect is thereby maintained fromthe hinged edge of the door .to its forward extremity; Outwardly of theflange 23 the bracket is'provided with a plurality of arms 424-42 spacedfrom each other 'and formed with a flat bearing portion on effectedbetween the door and'the flexible connection G.-- Each bracket35 ispreferably disposed centrally of one of the corrugations and rivetedthrough the upper flange -37 of the beam member 36, and to the doorplate on each sideof and in the plane ofsaid cor rugation by rivets 46,and also securedcentrally of the corrugation to the vertical web 38 ofthe said beam member 36 .by means of rivet 47. In this manner thebracket casting 35f continues the stiflening eflect of the corrugationsbeyond the termination; of said corrugation andoutwardly to the dooroperating mechanism and also co-ordinates the strength of a plurality ofcorrugations due to the effective-manner in whichthe bracket is securedto the beam member 36, and the fact that thesaidbeam. iSi extendedacross-the plane of a plurality of corrugations, and secured to the doorintermediatesaid corrugations throughout the length of the door by meansof rivets 146. 1 n

' The connectionGris formedof a plurality of links movably united ,bymeans of rivets and includes an end link 48 pivotally united with link49 which in turn is pivotallyconnected with links 50, the latter beingpivoted to link 51 which in turn is pivoted to hub 52, the latter beingrigidly. unitedwith the operating shaft E by means of bolts 53, the endlink48 being adapted to lie between the spaced I formed on thehub'mem'ber 52. The link 48.

"lugs '57 ably slightly .united thereto by means'of pivot pin 45. The

link 48 is formedon-its under side with a 'flat seating portion54-adapted to align with seats '43 on the arms 42 f bracket 35, when thedoor is in'clo'sed position, said seats 48 and 54 being adapted" whenvthe doors are in closed position to rest on a flat seat 55 is providedon each side thereof with lugs 56 adapted toj'co operate with upstandingonthe hub castings 52 whereby said link and hub castingsarelocked'relatively to 'each other with the effect of a unitary "istructure when the links are fully woun around the hubcastings. I

The relation ofpivot on the door is so dis'pos'edjthat when the door isin closed position and the shaft fully closed position as indicated inFigure 2, the center of thepivot 45 will lie substantially above theaxis of the shaft or prefer-v to the far side and beyond vertical line34 extendingthrough the central axis of the shaft, thereby relievingthe. shaft of all torsional effect and providing a selflockingmechanism.

Each shaft E is preferably actuated from the end of the car by means ofan actuating mechanism J, which includes a ratchet wheel 58 fixedlymounted on the shaft E and a rotatably mounted operating member,includingan'inner wall 59 and an outer wall'60, said walls beingunitedby rivets 61 and spaced from each ,other by-"thimbl'es 62.1. Onthe outer wall here "1s formed an integral socket "63 adapted. toreceive a removable operating bar. Mounted on one of the thimv bles 62is a pivoted pawll63 adapted to engage . The shaft locking. means H isadapted to lock the'sh'aft during the winding operation andincludes aratchet wheel 64 fixedly mounted upon the shaft, a supporting. mem- Imounted with respect to the shaft andmaintained against turning movementby a slotted connection with bracket 66, "said bracketbeingp-rovidedwith a fixedlu-g' "67, on which'the member '65 swings. Alocking pawl -68 is pivotally mounted on the 'memberx65, said pawlbeingadapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 64 to lockthe shaft'against-movement in an unwinding di'rectionb Cdoperating withsaid pawl 68 to lock'the same in engagement with the ratchetwheel is thelocking cam '69. 7 Assuming the doorsto be in open position vasiniilicatedby dotted li-nes'in Figure 2,the operation of the device" isas follows:: the shaft E 'iszrotated in a counter-clockwise direction,assuming the "parts positioned asin Figs. 2,4, 5 and 9,:by means of thedoor actuating. mechanism H. As'this rotation progresses thepflexibleconnection will wind beneath the door in the with the'teeth of ratchet58 for rotation of the shaft in-either direction;

around the hub casting '52, the shaft lying in the path of the door inthe, lower portion of the slot'duringthe initial movement, and

until such time as the door approaches the door and force'the shaftoutward-in the slot as indicated in Figure 5.. Continued rotation oftheshaft in the indicated direction will bring theparts to the position asindicated in Figure 4, when the lugs 56 and57 formed on the link and lugrespectively will engage and thereafter said link 48 and hub 52 willmove'as a unitary structure, the link and hub providing the eifect of arigid arm connection between the shaft andthe door of a length indicatedat '70. From the. position indicated in Figure 4, further revolution ofthe: shaft through an arc of approximately ninety degreeswill swing thelink member beneath the door'and bring the doorto a closed position.With thefparts as indicated inFigure 4 it will be notedthat finallockingaction is in nature of the closing action of tion indicating the fixedpoints or'base and arms 70 and 71 indicating the three pivotsofthetoggle, these being the axisof the shaft E, and pivots 29 and 45. Byreason of this toggle action very greatly increased mechania togglejoint, the line 84 in the inclined pos'i- Y cal advantage is obtained atthe close of the door operation, said increasein leverage beingalsoavailable to movethe shaft away from its supporting position beneaththe door, it being under-stoodthat the releasing V --of the doors is areversal of theclosing opera- 7 tion; z v I I have hereinshown anddescribed what I nowiconsider the preferred manner of car- -.rying outmy invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate allthe changes and modifications that come within :7

thefscope ofthe claims appended hereto. v

What I claim-is: p

In a railway car, the combinationwith acar door; -of a swingingoperating shaft; a connection'froin the shaft to the door, saidconnection infcludingz an end link pivotally* attached to the door; andinteren'gaging lugs between saidend link and the shaft arranged ingdirection. I I

' 2. a railway car, the combination with a drop door; of a tion beneaththe door;-a flexible connection to force the shaft away from the edge ofthe door when theshaft is rotated in an'unwind- I interposed betweensaid shaft and said door;

said connectionincluding an end link pivotallyattachedtoa rigid partofthe doom-said,

end link whenthe shaft is in supporting positiOn beneath theydoorjbeingadapted to lie] between the doorandthe shaft; and interengaging meansbetween said end link and the shaft to provide relative displacement ofthe parts on the initial rotation of the shaft in an unwindingdirection.

3. In a railway car, the combination with the car framing; of a dumpingdoor carried by the framing; vertically swinging links pivotally mountedon the car framing adjacent the free edge of the door; a door operatofthe door when the shaft is rotated in an unwinding direction.

4:. In a railway car, the combination with a hinged door; of a rotatablymounted shaft; pivotally mounted means for supporting the shaft, saidsupporting means being so mounted as to adapt the shaft to have a bodilymovement in the path of movement of the door and to assume a positionbeneath the door when the latter is in closed position; and a connectionfrom the shaft to the door, said connection including a plurality ofmovably united elements of appreciable width and depth whereby as theshaft is rotated in a direction to close the door said elements willassume a position between the shaft and free edge of the door andmaintain the shaft out wardly of the door. r

5. In a railway car, the combination with the cross members of the car;of a dumping door mounted between said cross members; swinging hangerspivoted to the cross beams adjacent their outer ends; a winding shaftmounted in said hangers; andflexible' connections connecting said shaftand door, said connections including a plurality of movably unitedelements interposed between the'shaft and the edge of the door, saidflexible c0nnections and the shaft having cooperating means arranged toeffect outward movement of the shaft away from the free edge of the doorwhen the shaft is rotated in an unwinding direction. p i

, 6. In a'railway car, the combination with a car framing includingvertically disposed members and a drop door mounted between saidmembers; of a rotatably mounted shaft mounted in said members adjacentthe free edge of the door; means for supportingthe shaft in position,said supporting meansineluding swinging hangers pivotally mounted uponbrackets secured to said vertically disposed ,m'embers, said bracketsincluding spaced walls between which said hangers are 'mounted and aslot within which the said shaft is adapted tohave arcuate movement,

shaft mounted adjacent the free edge of the door and adapted to assume apositionbeneath the door when thelatter isin closed position; bearingswithin Which the shaft is rotatably mounted, said bearingsbeingpivotally mounted on the car framing above the shaft; a connectionfromthe shaft to the door, said connection including a. drum fixedrelatively to the shaft, said drum being of polygonal form andpresenting a plurality of faces; links adapted to wind around the facesof the drum, said links being pivotally unlted to each other andcorresponding 1n numbervtothe number of faces ofthe drum;

a bracket carried by the/door, said bracket M havingthe terminal link ofthe connection pivoted thereto, the center of said pivot when the dooris in closed position being disposed above the axis of the shaft.

8. In a railway car, the combination with the car framing; of a dumpingdoor carried by the frame; bearingspivotally mounted adjacent the freeedge of the door; a rotatable door supporting shaft mounted'in saidbearings and adapted to assume a position beneath the door when thelatter is in closed position; a bracket extending outwardly beyond thefree edge of the door; a connection from the shaft to the door, saidconnection including a polygonal shaped hub formed wit-h a plurality offaces; links adaptedito wind around the hub, said linksbeing pivotallyunited and corresponding innumber. to the number of faces on the hub,the end link of said connection being pivoted to the bracket on the doorand'adapted to liebetween the door and the shaft when the, latter is insupporting position-beneath the door"; and inter-engaging lugs'betweenone :of the links and the hub for locking the links relative to the hub.

9. In arailway car, the combinationwith a dumping door; of'a shaftmounted in swinging hangers adjacent the free edge of the door, saidshaft being so mounted as to permit the shaft to normally lie in thepath of movement'of the door; and a connection extending between theshaft and the door, said connection including an end link pivotallymounted onthe door, said point of connection between the door and endlink being adaptedto'lie above the axis of the shaft when p the door isin closed position; and inter-engaging lugs between said endlink andshaft for forcing the shaftaway from the edge of the door when the shaftis rotated in an unwinding direction. C

v 10. In a railway car, the combinationwith a dumping-door and anoperatingmechanism for-said door; the said operating mech .the shaft isrotated in pivotal point of the door when the door 1s in closed positionvbeing adapted to lie slightly to one side and beyond a straight linejoining the pivot of the swinging link and the axis of the shaft wherebythe mechanism will be rendered self-locking; and co-operating shoulderson said terminal link and the shaft, so arranged as to force the shaftaway from the edge of the door when the shaft is rotated in an un-.

winding I direction.

11. In a railway car, the combination with a drop door; of a pivotedswinging shaft mounted-adjacent the free edge of the door; a flexibleconnection interposed between said shaft and said edge of door, saidconnection including an end link pivotally attached to a rigid part ofthe door, said pivotal point of attachment of the link being disposedabove the axis of rotation of the shaft so that when the door is inclosed position the shaft is locked against rotation in anvunwindingdirection; and co-operating means on said link and shaft arranged toforce the shaft away from the edge of the door when tion. 8

12. In a railway car,the combination with a dumping door; of a doorsupporting shaft mounted in swinging hangers adjacent the free edge ofthe door; and a connection extending between the shaft connectionincluding an end linkpivotally attached to a rigid part of the door,said attachment of the link being disposed above the axis of rotation ofthe shaft so that when the door is in closed position the weight of thedoor will lock the shaft against rotation in an unwinding direction. T

13. In a railway car, the combination with a dumping door; of anoperating mechanism for said door, the said operating mechanismvincluding: a rotatable shaft; swinging links in which the shaft isrotatably mounted; and a connection from the shaft to the door, saidconnection including an end link pivotally mounted with respect to thedoor, the pivot between the connection and the door being so disposed asto lie when the door is in closed position slightly to one side andbeyond a straight line joining the pivot of the an unwinding direcandthe door, said 7 ing position with reference to said door; and meansconnecting sald shaft and door and operable to'swing said shaft intosup- 1 porting position and provide a toggle action for locking saiddoor when the same is closed.

15. In a railway a hingeddoor; shaft and means for swinginglysupportingsaid shaft for movement. into, and out "of supporting position withreference to said car, the combination with door; and'connectionsbetween said shaft and door, including elements arranged to provide atoggle action with reference to said shaft and door to effect movementthereof when said shaft is rotated.

16. In a railwaycar, the combination with a hinged door; of a rotatableoperating shaft; hangers for swingingly supporting said shaft; andconnections from said shaft to said door, said connections including arigid element for moving said shaft out of the path of'movement of saiddoor.

17. In a railway car, the combination with a hinged door; ofan operatingshaft adapted to be moved into and out of supporting relation withreference to said door; hanger means for swingingly supporting saidshaft for its operative movements; a connection.

between said shaft and doorincluding a of a rotatable operating rigidelement operable to assume a position between the shaft and door to movethe shaft out of its normal position."

" In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname this 24th day of February, 1928.

- ARGYLE CAMPBELL.

swinging link and the axis of the shaft,

whereby the closing. nism will be the closing action of a toggle jointconnection.

action of the mecha-

